As befitting a restaurant where culinary theatricality is an essential part of the dining experience, the focal point of the space is the central island counter where the sushi master can be seen at work. Wrapped in reflective curved steel panelling and topped with solid wood, the counter’s clean lines, simple yet bold geometry and detailed craftsmanship encapsulate Kos and Huang’s approach to Maido’s interiors. Across the walls, dark cherry wood panelling with shallow square alcoves housing large abstract paintings is counterbalanced by the suspended coffered ceiling which is rendered in a soft baby blue hue. The ceiling’s geometric design echoes the checkerboard pattern of the quarry tile flooring below as well as that of the large semi-circular glass block partition that separates a more private lounge at the back of the restaurant. The inspiration for the partition “came from the facade of Saint John’s Wood Library, the next door building of the same era”, as Alexy and Che explain, but in effect it also functions much like the Shoji screens found in traditional Japanese tea houses that allow daylight to filter inside from outdoors.

A curated selection of antique and contemporary furniture further underlines the fusion of modernist and Japanese aesthetics. Iconic mid-century MR Chairs in brown leather by Mies van der Rohe are paired with modern aluminium bar stools by celebrated Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa; vintage brass sconces by Stilnovo, the Italian pioneers of rationalist design, punctuate the wall panelling, while Pipistrello Table Lamps designed by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce in 1965 add playful accents on the island counter and communal table in the private lounge. The result is a cosy space that evocatively “captures the nostalgic atmosphere of 1960s London” as the designers intended.